A former top scientist at artificial intelligence company OpenAI revealed Monday that his ownership share in the tech startup is valued at approximately $7 billion, during court testimony in an ongoing legal battle involving Elon Musk.
Ilya Sutskever, who previously served as OpenAI’s Chief Scientist, made the disclosure while testifying in a California courtroom as part of Musk’s lawsuit against the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot.
The legal proceedings could significantly impact OpenAI’s future, as the company has been securing massive funding from investors while preparing for what could become a trillion-dollar public stock offering. OpenAI revolutionized public access to artificial intelligence through its ChatGPT technology.
Musk’s lawsuit demands major changes to how OpenAI operates and seeks $150 billion in damages from both the AI company and Microsoft, which has invested heavily in the firm.
During his court appearance, Sutskever testified that he had been contemplating efforts to oust co-founder Sam Altman from his CEO position for at least twelve months before casting his board vote in November 2023.
According to Sutskever’s testimony, Altman’s leadership style involved “undermining and pitting executives against one another,” which he described as “not conducive to any grand goal,” including developing safe artificial general intelligence.
Sutskever was instrumental in the shocking removal and subsequent reinstatement of Altman in November 2023. As a board member at the time, he helped coordinate Altman’s initial dismissal.
After departing OpenAI in 2024, Sutskever established his own artificial intelligence company named Safe Superintelligence.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also appeared in court Monday, describing his company’s financial backing of OpenAI as a “calculated risk.” Nadella testified that Microsoft viewed its early investments as valuable primarily for promotional advantages.
The trial has featured testimony from multiple current and former OpenAI leadership figures, including President Greg Brockman, Mira Murati, and Shivon Zilis.
Musk has stated under oath that while he was aware of early conversations about converting OpenAI into a profit-driven enterprise, Altman assured him the organization would maintain its nonprofit status.
